Cade's 19 mo. photo shoot (8/08)

Okay, I know this might sound like the classic "mom" thing to say, but I was going to pick a few of my favorites to post, and I decided I can't! We love them all. My sister Cassie has such a gift of capturing personality and we appreciate her sharing her talents with us! These pictures show:

His Laugh

Cade is always laughing and happy. He is such an easy going kid.

His Dance

Cade LOVES to dance and sing songsHis gorgeous eyes The little kidder/jokester in him That Cade is always looking for hugs His beautiful, blonde locksHis bashful side
The natural athlete in him
His love for games
(peekaboo)


His flexing...yeah, he's a boy...
His delicate side
His love for his parents and our love for him
We feel so lucky to have such an amazing boy who we, at times, feel has a stronger spirit than we do. We know he will grow up to do great things...but for now, he is still just our little Taters.

Biking the Oregon Coast!

First time posting on the family blog (Jon)... my Dad, brother and I have been talking about doing a trip like this for a while and it finally happened a few weeks ago. We started at the northern most tip of Oregon (Astoria) where we camped at Stevens State Park. Racoons all over the place in and out of our camp all night! First two days were big rains and head winds that made it tough to get to our destination and wore us out a lot faster. We made it to South Beach State park before one of us broke a spoke and cut the trip a day short or so. About 170 miles in three days riding. Only one flat, one non-injury producing crash, plenty of weather, plenty of stops and plenty of good memories. Good times! Next time though...let's be in better shape dudes.

Day 1 just as we left our starting point... (LtoR: Bruce (dad), Brandon and me)

(LtoR Below: Brandon, Jonathan, Bruce)

Saw two whales surfacing here right off the coast Stopped for a cone at Tillamook, day 2
Lots of scenic stopping points like this
Canon Beach and the haystacks
We each had one-man tents
Climbing a big hill, big forest

BYU Sucks!!One of a million stops along the road...we pulled all we had in our trailors

Girls Do it Better!

YW Overnight 9.12.08

My (Brynne's) calling right now is the ward Young Women's (12-18 yr. olds) outdoor and athletic leader. I absolutely LOVE my calling and the few, very select few, girls who love to do that kind of stuff with me! We have done anything from hiking in the rain, snowshoeing, sports, (our next activity we are shooting guns) etc. to this fun overnight. We had an awesome night camping by Cd'a Lake roasting hot dogs and having girl talk. The two men there were even suprised the other leader and I could make a fire without them and that I had come prepared with an axe! We also had some amazing spiritual discussions and object lessons. It was humbling to see the strength in these girls...especially considering the many trials they have to go through in these days. They are great examples and they have testimonies of Christ. I feel so lucky to learn from them and teach them.

Here is a picture of our beautiful hike overlooking Coeurd' Alene Lake on Mineral Ridge.

(LtoR:Chelsea Rouse, Angie Nicolay, Cyra Olson, Camillie Barlow, Olivia Cysewski, me in back)

We hiked from the bottom!

HAPPY 34th JONNY!

(Cade singing happy birthday...look at all those candles!)
September 22, 1974 our awesome husband and dad was brought into this world! How grateful we are! Here are some of his accomplishments this year:

-Got a couple deer in Idaho and MT

-took his wife on a cruise

-had his 3rd wedding anniversary in Vegas

-learned how to tile his own kitchen

-Lead his church bball team to a Championship win

-conceived boy no. 2

-Did yet another olympic triathlon in McCall

-Did his 3rd LotoJa bike race

-almost 5 years owning his own Unishippers franchise (and paid it off!)

To celebrate his 34th, Brynne suprised him with a professional massage on his lunch hour, then his favorite steak dinner at Wolfe Lodge, and a suprise after party with friends for cake and a 'who's most like Jon?' game. Later we celebrated with family with the BIG chocolate cake! He received many nice gifts, calls, and cards on his birthday. Thanks everyone! It was a great 34th.

(taking his bite...Gatten tradition)

Running Into Fun 2008

We had the first annual kids fun run in Cd'a City Park on Sept 6th!

here we are starting set-up with volunteers

One of the age groups waiting at the start line

 It was a lot of work, a lot of planning and running around like chickens with our heads cut off, but my sister Mikin and I pulled it off like we were pros with the help of many volunteers and sponsors. We had 62 kids run from ages 3-12! Great for the first year! We even broke even and made a little money! More than we had hoped for. 

My babes

Maybe it is because he has been gone for a week, but I have been thinking a lot lately about how lucky I am to be married to such a wonderful man. The first time I met Jonny, his confidence, his fun-loving and sarcastic character, and his good looks had me smitten. But although he has many amazing qualities, is so fun to be around, shares many of the same loves and hobbies as me, and is so easy to get along with, that is not what I love most about him.

Since we met and fell in love, we have been through so much together already. Some might say we've been through as much as a couple who has been married 10 years. But I am more than grateful to honestly say that the day I married him is the day I loved him the least. Through ups and downs, our love has grown to be unconditional and we feel like we can get through anything together.

I love Jon for his willingness to serve. I love him for the family man he has learned to be. I love how he shows his love to me in so many ways; whether it's putting toothpaste on my toothbrush, telling me how beautiful I am out of the blue, or telling me to sit and relax while he does the dishes. I love his soft, sensitive side. I love what a good dad he is to our son and how excited he is about our growing family. I love how he is so interactive in our lives. I love how I can tell him ANYTHING and he will love me still. I love that I WANT to tell him everything.

As we observe the world around us, we might be biased in saying that a love like ours does not come around every day and we feel so lucky to have found it. We are so compatable and I know that Heavenly Father helped us to find eachother to fill in eachother's gaps and help eachother become better people.

I am so grateful to be with such an amazing man, not only for this life, but for eternity. I wouldn't want anything less.

I love you so much, babe. You are, and always will be, my number one.

Christopher and Lynnette Holstein

One of my best life long friends, Lynnette Page, got married on August 30, 2008. I don't even remember when we met! She lived two houses down all of growing up and I always considered her family my second family. As our lives have changed since high school, we have remained good friends.

Here is a pic of "the cousins"...aka Lynnette's sisters and cousin Melody at the Bachelorette party. We had dinner at Brix and went dancing at the Cd'a resort.

The shower was cute. She answered questions about Chris and did very well! She really loves him. (below @shower: Dani, Shelly, Lynnette and me)

Here is some of our good high school friends at the shower also. We still get together every Christmas if we can. (LtoR below: Brynne, Kelly Hauck, Amy Wearne (Paulson), Lynnette, Sarah Curtis, Carrie Bremer, and Sofia Voz)

Cade got tuckered out watching her open presents...

and dad, Ken, walking down the isle at the Cd'a Resort golf course.

Below: Chris and Lynnette at the altar. Chris was crying and Lynnette was so nervous.


At the reception. Still friends after 23 years.

the happy, pregnant couple...all the high school friends were shocked we already have a no.2
A.J. and I at the reception...Jon left after the wedding for elk hunting.

My mom and her date. (my dad was already hunting:)
It was a beautiful day.